Latch.



C. E. ANDERSON.

LATCH. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, l9l6- RENEWED mic. 6. I918.

Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

CARL E. ANDERSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS WHITE PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO,

, nssmnon, BY mnsnn ASSIGNMENTS, r0

ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

LATCH.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL E. ANDERSON, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois have invented a certain new and useful improvement in Latches, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to latches and is of particular service when employed in connection with the hoods of automobiles, though the invention is not to be limited to any particular use to which it may be put.

The device of my invention includes a latch bar, a catch for holding the latch bar, a spring for pressing the latch bar longitudinally to effect engagement of the latch bar with the catch, and mechanism operat ing against the force of the spring for releasing the latch bar from the catch.

The preferred embodiment of my invention comprises a latch having a latch bar, a holding foot carried by the latch bar, a catch for engaging the toe of the foot, an abutment connected with the latch bar, a spring pressing against this abutment for operating the latch bar, a second abutment, the spring being interposed between the abutments, a pivoted link connected with the second abutment, a hand piece connected with the latch bar for operating it against the force of said spring, a link connected with the foot for also engaging the catch and serving when manually operated to clear the toe from the catch to permit the latch to be opened by the spring, an additional link connecting the latter link with the hand piece, and means for retaining the hand piece in accessible positions.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawing showing the preferred embodiment thereof and in which Figure 1 is a view in elevation, partially in section, showing the application of my device to an automobile hood; Fig. 2 is a view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a View on line 3 3 of Fi 1; and Fig. 4 shows the relative position 0 some of the parts as the latch is being 0 ened.

Like parts are in 'cated by similar charac- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 25, 1919.

. Application filed September 18, 1916, Serial No. 120,616. Renewed December 8, 1918. Serial No. 265,672.

ters of reference throughout the difierent figures.

Thelatch of my invention includes a latch bar a carrying a holding foot 12 whose toe c is adapted to be engaged witha toe catch d when the latch is closed. This toe catch, in the application of the invention illustrated, is carried by a bracket 03 located within the hood of an automobile and attached to the automobile frame d'. A coil spring 6 surrounds the latch bar and presses upon it in a direction away from the toe catch d and holds the toe of the holding foot in engagement with the toe catch when the latch is closed. The latch bar It carries an abutment f fixed upon the latch bar at a point remote from the holding foot and against which abutment the spring e presses upwardly. This spring is provided with a second abutment 9 engaging its other end that is movable with respect to the latch bar and longitudinally thereof, both abutments desirably surrounding the latch bar. The abutment g is carried upon a link h which is pivoted at 2' near the abutment f, the pivot i being located upon a bracket It which is secured to a lower hood section 1, it being understood that each of the lower hood sections is equipped With a latch of my invention. A link m is pivotally connected at one end with the holding toe 0 and at the other end is pivotally connected with one end of a link at whose other end is connected with an intermediate portion of a hand piece 0. A part of the hand piece projects into the hood space and is pivotally connected with the upper end or the latch bar a. The spring operates to hold the toe c (which is hook shaped) in ,engage ment with the toe catchd through the intermediation of the link m, the spring positively pressing this link against the under side of the toe catch (1 near one end of this link to force the other end of the link into engagement with the heel 7), this heel acting as a stop to limit the extent to which the link a may be lowered with respect to the latch bar. The heel also acts as an abutment against which t e link 41 may (though not necessarily) be downwardly pressed when the hand piece is ressed downwardly upon the application of and pressure to the the hand piece with the upper end of the link n.

Assuming that the latch is opened and is to be closed, sufiicient hand pressure is applied to the hand piece over the upper end of the link n to overcome the pressure of the spring (in which operation the lower end of the link n may be either in or out of engagement with the heel piece), the downward pressure upon the hand piece being continued until the toe 0 moves underneath the toe catch d. Owing to the relative osition of the pivot 11 and the upper end 0 the link n the hand pressure downwardly exerted will force the toe c beneath the toe catch d. When the latch is to be opened the outer free end of the hand piece is engaged by the thumb or forefinger and is pressed upwardly, causing the outer end of the link m to rise with respect to the latch bar, this link in rising bearing against the toe catch and causing the toe to be moved downwardly to a point that will clear the toe catch and permit the link m to ride off of the toe catch, the tip of the toe then being beneath the upper edge of the link so that the toe will not inter ere with the riding of the link m along the toe catch. When the tip of the toe has thus been placed below the upper edge of the link m the spring will operate against the abutment f to press this abutment upwardly, the abutment carrying with it the latch bar, the spring finally completing the withdrawing movement of the latch bar without any further manual operation upon the hand piece.

The bracket is has a hole 1 throu h which the latch bar a operates and whic closely surrounds the latch bar so that the hand piece 0 and the parts attached thereto cannot be bodily moved inwardly or outwardly to any material extent with reference to the hood section l, althougha very slight inward and outward movement should be afforded owin to the relative location of the pivot z and t e upper end of the latch bar a.

\Vhile I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction shown as changes may readily be made without departing from the s irit of my invention but having thus describe my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following i 1. A latch structure including a latch bar; a holding foot carried by the latch bar; a catch for engaging the toe of the foot; an abutment connected with the latch bar; a spring pressing against this abutment for operating the latch bar; a second abutment, t e spring being interposed between the abutments; a. pivoted link connected with the second abutment; a hand piece connected with the latch bar for operating it against the force of said spring; a link connected with'the foot for also engaging the catch and serving when manually operated to clear the toe from the catch to permit the latch to be opened by the spring; and an additional link connecting the latter link with the hand piece.

2. A latch structure including a latch bar; a holding foot carried by the latch bar; a catch for engaging the toe of the foot; a link connected with the foot for also engaging the catch and serving when manually operated to clear the toe from the catch; a spring for opening the latch when the toe is cleared from the catch; a hand piece; and a second link connecting the hand piece with the aforesaid link.

3. A latch structure including a latch bar; a holding foot carried by the latch bar; a catch for engaging the toe of the foot; an abutment connected with the latch bar; a spring pressing against this abutment for operating the latch bar; a second abutment, the spring being interposed between the abutments; apivoted link connected with'the second abutment; a hand piece connected with the latch bar for operating it against the force of said spring; a link connected with the foot for also engaging the catch and serving when manually operated to clear the toe from the catch to permit the latch to be opened by the spring; an additional link connectin piece, the bee of the aforesaid foot acting as a stop to limit the extent to which said additional link may operate the link connected therewith; and' means for retaining the hand piece in accessible positions.

4. A latch structure including a latch bar; a holding foot carried by the latch bar; a catch for engaging the toe of the foot; an abutment connected with the latch bar; a spring pressin against this abutment for operating the atch bar; a second abutment, the spring being interposed between the abutments; a pivoted 1111]; connected withthe second abutment; a hand piece connected with the latch bar for operating it against the force of said spring; a link connected with the foot for also engaging the catch and serving when manually operated to clear the toe from the catch to permit the latch to be opened by the spring; and an additional link connecting the latter link with the hand piece, the heel of the aforesaid foot acting as a stop to limit the extent to which the said additional'link may operate the link connected therewith.

5. A latch structure including a latch bar; a holding foot carried by the latch bar; a catch for engagin the toe of the foot; a link connected wit the foot for also engagmg the catch and serving when manually operated to clear the toe from the catch; a spring for opening the latch when the toe is the latter link with the hand cleared from the catch; a hand iece; and a second. link connecting the hen piece with the aforesaid link, the heel of the aforesaid foot acting as a stop to limit the extent to which the second link may operate the first.

6. A look for an automobile hood comprising latchin means for releasably holding the hood in a closed position, and a handle connected with the hood, for raising the hood and includin means for engaging the latching means an moving the latching means to an inoperative position when the handle is moved to raise the hood.

7. An automobile hood, locking means for said hood positioned within the same, and means for raisin the hood constituting aetuating means or the locking means extending through said hood for engaging said locking means and moving t e locking means to an inoperative posltion with the"20 hood closed.

8. An automobile hood, locking means for said hood positioned within the same, and actuating means for said locking means extending through said hood for permitting said lockin means to be moved to an inoperative posltion with the hood closed.

In wltness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 16th day of September, A. D., f

CARL E. ANDERSON. W'itnesses G, L. CRAG ETIA L. \VHITE.

DISCLAIMER 1,298,272-Car7 E. Anderson, Chicago, Ill. LATCH. Patent dated March 25. 1919.

Disclaimer filed February 10, 1931, by the assignee, Chicago Forging ct- Manufactmo'ng 6'0.

Enters the following disclaimer, to wit:

A. Your petitioner disclaims from claim 6 of said Letters Patent all locks except. locks used in connection with an automobile hood" of the type illustrated in Fig. 1 of said Letters Patent, having the part upon which the latching means for releasably holding the hood in a closed position" is supported and to which the handle is connected, movable in two directions about two hinges and the latching means releasably holds the automobile hood against movement about both hinges.

B. Your petitioner disclaims from claims 7 and 8 of said Letters Patent all locks except locks used in connection with an automobile hood" of the type illustrated in Fig. 1 of said Letters Patent, having the part upon which the locking means for said hood and the means for raising the hood are supported, movable in two directions about two hinges, and the locking means holds the hood against movement about both hinges.

[Oficial Gazette February 224, 1931.] 

